Improvement in self-closing telegraph-key s



W. C. BOWERS.

Telegraph Key,

Patented Sept. 7, 1869.

n I m idnittd fittin pawn once.

W. CLAY BOWER S, O F 'WHEATLAND, IOWA.-

Letters Patent No. 94,556, dated September 7, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT SELF-CLOSING TEI IBGRAPH-KEYS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, W. CLAY Bownns, of Wheatland, in the county .of Clinton, and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Self- Olosin g Telegraph-Keys; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference nlarked thereon.

Figure 1 represents a front elevation of the key,

showing the interior arrangement of the key-lever, the

covering-plate being removed;

Figure 2 represents a plan view; and Figure 3, views of the plate, with sliding button,

which covers the groove in the key-lever.

'nryinvention, I will procee'dto describe its construction and operation.

A represents the frame, made of brass. It is secured to a table by the screws a and b, and thumbnuts. The ends of the wires are wound around the screws.

The screw it is in direct contact with the frame, while b penetrates it through a non-conducting collar inserted in'the frame.

B represents the head of screw b. It is provided with two platinum nipples, n and n, anduforms the anvil of the lever.

0 represents the key-lever, with its axle, c, which turns in the sockets of the set-screws s s. It has a long groove on one side, wherein the mechanism for working the auxiliary lever is placed.

Its platinum nipple, 0, forms the hammer.

The distance between the anvil and hammer is regulated by the standard screw 0' of the lever.

t is a bent spring between the frame and the lever, which holds'the knob-end of the lever up when not operated on.

. D represents the knob, made of non-conducting material.

It has a pin, d, which fits and turns in an eye in the end of the lever.

That part of this pin which is exposed in the groove of the lever has a lug, e. V

E represents the auxiliary lever, which is hinged, at z, to the main lever, its long arm hanging down, the end of which is provided with a platinum nipple, p, which is in contact with the nipple n of the anvil when the key isnot operated on. i

F represents the connecting rod, which connects the short arm of the auxiliarv lever with the log of the pin of the knob. I

f is a square protuberance of the connecting-rod.

G represents'a spiral spring, one end of which is fastened to the short arm 'of the auxiliary lever, and the other end to the main lever.

It serves to hold the platinum nipple of the auxiliary lever in contact with the nipple n of the anvil. H represents the plate, which is screwed to the lever, covering the groove. It has a slot, h.

I represents a button, which slides in the slot of the late. p It'serves to hold the platinum nipple of the auxiliary lever from the nipple n of the anvil, while the key is operated on by pressing against the protuberance,of the'oonnectiug-rod holding it tothe'side of the groove tight enough to overcome the action of the spiral spring G.-

The operation is as follows:

The circuit is opened by turning the lever-knob, which throws the long end of the auxiliary lever back and removes its platinum nipple from the side nipple of the anvil. The button on the plate is then slid over the protuberance of the connecting-rod, holding the auxiliary lever in the requiredposition. The key may then be operated on in the usual manner.

At the conclusion of the operation, the button on the plate is slid from the protuberance of the connecting-rod, when the platinum nipple of the auxiliary lever'is at once brought in contact with the side nipple of the anvil by the action of the spring, and the circuit closed.

1 Some of the advantages of this key over all other self-closing telegraph -keys are, that it will not open line by dropping light articles on the'lever-knob; that the circuit can be held open by a sliding button; and that the connecting works between the lever-knob and the auxiliary lever are inside of main lever, which protects them from being broken or disarranged by accidental knocks of books or message-clips.

Having thus described my invention,

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patcut, is I p 1. Revolving knobD, with pin (1 and lug e, in combination with connecting-rod F, spiral spring G, and auxiliary lever E, with platinum nipple p, to operate substantially as described and for the purposes set forth.

2. Platinum nipple a on the side of anvil, substantially as and forthe purposes set forth.

3. Sliding button I, to operate substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

Invtestimony whereof, I have signed iny name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' W. CLAY BOWERS. \Vjtnesses:

A. Bowman, WM. H. Barns. 

